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House of Saint-Auguste
House Saint-Auguste is the ruling family of the Barony of Augustholm in the Swamp of Sorrows, by declaration of King Daniel Wrynn I in the year 51 K.C. However, this house and its precursors have ruled in this region for much of its recorded history, with roots tracing back over two millennia. The house has been in dire straits in recent years, as its position in the Swamp of Sorrows has put it before multiple offensives emanating from the Dark Portal, but it is recovering. History The origins of House Saint-Auguste is often traced back to around the year 1500 P.C., when the Agusti chieftain Baldren took on the surname Agust as a demonstration of his embodiment of his people. It is likely that the chiefdom of the tribe had a hereditary aspect prior to this point as well, making earlier chieftains progenitors of the House the same as Baldren and his descendants, but this cannot be confirmed with any certainty. In fact, it is still debated among Augustan scholars at what point control of the Agusti became explicitly dynastic. For certain chieftains, there is evidence of blood relations between them, such as with Baldmyr and Baldegröd, but there was not a consistent record of this until around 1040 P.C., when Valstarian Auguste passed the title of King of the Agusti to his firstborn son Valstarian II, who in turn passed it to his own son. The Agust Baldren, presumably the son of the previous chieftain Baldred the Bloody, took power around 1525 P.C. in the midst of war with the trolls, presumably colonists of the Gurubashi Empire. Rallying the Agusti after Baldred's death, Baldren struck out against the trolls, razing their settlement and securing the region against further troll incursions. Under Baldren's reign, the Agusti remained mobile, traveling throughout the northwestern Black Morass as a powerful warband. It is possible that Baldren had forged alliances with other human tribes in the region as well, though this is unconfirmed. He was succeeded by his son Baldmyr, who begun construction of a more permanent settlement at Augustholm. Baldegröd is presumed to have risen to power in 1400 P.C. Whether or not this was a peaceful transition is up for interpretation, as the Third Waystone presents a conflict between Baldegröd and his younger brother Balech for power. The Second Waystone has no record of this conflict, however, and further no record of Balech at all. Baldegröd's reign was fairly uneventful beyond this potential conflict in its early days, focused on building up the newfound Agusti settlement in Augustholm. The Third Waystone also depicts Baldegröd as the father of the Hierophancy of Heol, though this is likely an anachronistic claim. Most scholars attribute the beginnings of this religion to Baldegröd's successor Balneör. Trade and other signs of diplomatic relations among the human tribes of the Black Morass began to emerge under subsequent chieftains, concluding the shift from a nomadic to a stationary existence and beginning another cultural shift towards a dynastic monarchial government. The use of the Waystones as a means of recording Agusti history began to fall out of practice as trade relations demanded the use of more mobile forms of written communication. The transition to parchment-based modes of writing was accompanied by changes in the Agusti language, seen most notably in the differences in the chieftain whose name was depicted both as Balteth Agust and Valtathe Auguste. The family name would be standardized as Auguste starting with Valtathe's son Valsharian. Kings of the Agusti Depictions of Valsharian Auguste from the late 11th century P.C. show him wearing the iron crown that would become the symbol of the Augustan monarchy, the first signs of the impending transition. By this point, the dynastic order was well and truly established among the Agusti. Valsharian's son Valstarian officially took on the title of King of the Agusti in the early 10th century P.C. Soon after, Valstarian assembled an army and began invading neighboring tribes, razing settlements that opposed him and cowing others into submission, earning him the title "the Conqueror." His reach was somewhat limited, however, as the Agusti were still inexperienced in running a society larger than their immediate tribe, and Valstarian's control over subjugated tribes wavered often, particularly as he aged. Valstarian was most notable for solidifying the economic and social caste difference between the monarchs and other elites and the common people. Much of the Agusti's accumulated wealth was spent constructing a large estate for the Auguste family, as well as a magnificent crypt in which Valstarian would be interred. Valstarian's son, named for him, was already old and fairly ill by the time he ascended to his father's throne. He died within two years of his coronation, earning him the nickname "the Quick." Many subjugated tribes used this opportunity to begin organizing against the Agusti. This would turn out to be a mistake. After Valstarian II's death, a third Valstarian took the throne. He organized the remnants of his grandfather's army and reorganized it into a standing military, supported by the Agusti's iron mines and farmlands taken during previous conflicts. The surrounding tribes, already weakened by previous wars, easily fell before Valstarian III, who established more permanent control of the region. Under Valstarian III, the Agusti's kingdom reached its height, stretching well beyond the Barrier Hills into northern and central regions of the Black Morass. For this feat, Valstarian III acquired the title "the Great," and to date he is considered the greatest of the Augustan rulers. Valstarian was also a shrewd politician, marrying into the families of numerous chieftains to secure their loyalty. This would prove to be problematic for succession, however, as each family desired the throne. Ultimately his second son by his third wife, Vales Valens, would take the throne. The discord caused by this internal conflict ate at the Agusti's strength and prevented them from engaging in further expansionism, but Vales Valens and his son Valesarian would hold the borders Valstarian the Great had established until the Arathorian Conquest in 899 P.C. Arathorian Conquest Around 900 P.C., remnants of the Arathorian Empire took the southern reaches of the Eastern Kingdoms by storm, and Augustholm was no exception. After sacking the southern settlements of the Agusti, the army of the Stromic noble House Northour, commanded by the ruling lord's son Iodus Northour, met King Valesarian and the Agusti army in battle just north of the fork in the River Sorrow. Outmatched by the numerically and technologically superior Arathorian army in what would become known as the Battle of the Sorrow, Valesarian's forces were routed and he was forced to retreat back to Augustholm. Valesarian's diminished army was surrounded at Augustholm, but he and his warriors fought to the last against the invaders. Valesarian was killed in this final battle, and many of his family and military commanders were executed. Valesarian's 14-year-old niece Valencia was taken as a bride by Commander Northour, securing his new position as military governor by marriage while also giving some illusion of local rule. Iodus's father Thormund took personal possession of the northern Augustan city of Steorra, establishing it as his seat for the newly-formed Duchy of Strom's March. Northour was quick to suppress political dissidence. A particular target of his was the Hierophancy of Heol, which was actively organizing rebellions against the imperial government. The newly appointed Bishop of Strom's March called a crusade against the blood priests, leading to a series of bloody skirmishes and assassination attempts that carried on for over a decade. In 881 P.C., a Darkstep assassin serving the Hierophancy succeeded in killing Iodus Northour and grievously wounding both Valencia and her son Iodulus, but with the aid of the Bishop, Valencia made a miraculous recovery and emerged a changed woman. She publicly converted to the Church, pledging the extinction of the faith of Heol, and in return was granted the honorific "Saint," which would remain in her family for generations to come. The newly-sent commander from Strom's March, Thom Bracken, soon became overshadowed by Valencia, who proved herself a loyal servant of the Duchy. Lord Thormund, noticing this, reduced Bracken's role in the region and eventually recalled him, which calmed many of the political dissidents, seeing Valencia as a rightful ruler of the region. Without popular support, the Hierophants were quickly hunted down, with the few survivors fading away into the Barrier Hills. She then turned her attention to rebuilding and modernizing the barony. This was a task in which she was greatly successful, but it is for her role in the crusade against Heol that she is remembered, for better or for worse. After Valencia's death, her son Iodulus proved less popular with the people, more fully embracing his Arathorian heritage and forging closer ties with the Empire. For the next few generations, this balancing act of loyalties between the people and the Empire would plague House Saint-Auguste. Iodulus's son Thoradin Valyrian swung the pendulum back towards the Augustan culture, reestablishing the tradition of Augustan namesakes. From Baron Valyrian would come a line of eight more Baron Valyrians, as well as a great stone wall to protect the barony from attack which would also bear his name. During this period, what one might consider the modern Augustholm began to emerge, with newly-constructed towns such as Rivercross becoming commercial centers in the region, though some older settlements such as Shade's End - formerly the temple city of Heolfæst - managed to hold on as well. The War for Independence In the year 6 P.C., Logan Wrynn of Stormwind began an open revolt against Arathorian rule, inspiring similar guerrilla movements across the southern Eastern Kingdoms. Baron Ashdon Valyrian Saint-Auguste, perhaps sensing the shift in the balance of power, allowed individuals from within his barony to join House Northour's defense forces, but he opted to withhold any official support from the Principality, keeping the bulk of Augustan forces stationed at Valyrian's Wall. The prince's requests for support piled up in Ashdon's fireplace as he waited to see how the rebels would fare, and by the end of the second year of the war, it was widely believed that Ashdon was actively negotiating to join Logan Wrynn in revolt. This changed suddenly in March of 4 P.C. with the assassination of Ashdon Valyrian, presumably by Stormwind skirmishers. His steward, his uncle Roltair, passed away from heart failure before April, leaving the childless lord's half-brother Maxias to take control of the House. Maxias, the Commander of the Darkstep at the time, immediately reaffirmed his loyalty to House Northour, sending Augustan troops to aid the Stromic legions in battle. After Logan Wrynn was crowned, Strom's March recalled its remaining forces and found itself in an uneasy cold war with the nascent kingdom of Stormwind. Baron Maxias remained a loyal servant of House Northour during this time, as would his descendants after him. The Conquest of the Black Morass Strom's March's prosperity had waned since its heyday during the War for Independence, as it had lost many of its trade partners to the Kingdom of Stormwind. By the year 377 K.C., Strom's March found itself at war with the Gurubashi Empire and was struggling to keep itself fed and its defenses reinforced against the seemingly endless waves of troll invaders. This presented an opportunity for the expansionistic King Eadred Wrynn of Stormwind. In exchange for Stormwind joining the war on House Northour's behalf and the hand of Eadred's niece Dalia in marriage, Prince Arvyn Northour would surrender his son's title to the Principality, submitting to Stormwind's rule. Together the Prince and the King drove the Gurubashi from the Swamp, securing the border by the year 382 K.C. Dalia and Arvyn's son Brendyn were wed the following year. In the year 413, Arvyn passed, and all of his holdings, including Augustholm, were passed to Stormwind, reformed into the Duchy of Strom's March. The barony of Augustholm had only just changed hands the year before. Modern History In 592 K.C., a cataclysmic event ripped through the Black Morass: the Dark Portal to Draenor had been opened. Within the span of a few months, Stormwindian forces throughout the region had been routed or destroyed. The aging Baron Louis Valyrian drew Augustan regiments behind Valyrian's Wall, charging his son Barathen Valyrian with the defense. While perhaps the best defensive strategy House Saint-Auguste had available to them under the circumstances, it would ultimately prove their downfall; without Augustan troops in the field securing supply lines, Augustholm was quickly cut off from the rest of Stormwind. Augustan troops under Barathen held the Wall valiantly until March of 593 K.C., but slowly the Orcish onslaught reduced the defenders down to reserves and untrained conscripts, and at last Orcish warlocks and siege engines reduced the central span of wall to rubble. With their primary line of defense destroyed, Barathen called a retreat to Rivercross, but his haggard army was outflanked by Orcish raiders, forcing them to march instead across the River Sorrow to Shade's End. Without Barathen's support, the town militia of Rivercross was quickly slaughtered and the township razed, and the bulk of the invading Horde marched on Augustholm itself. Baron Louis and much of the baronial family was killed in the resulting battle. Meanwhile, in Shade's End, Barathen organized an evacuation of the citizenry into the Barrier Hills, in hopes that the difficult terrain would dissuade the Orcs from pursuit. A skeleton army of volunteers remained in Shade's End as a diversionary force while Barathen led the remainder of his forces and the civilians of Shade's End into exile. Dynasty Compiled here is a list of all known and presumed ruling members of this House. This section is incomplete. Early History Kings of the Agusti Arathorian Conquest Principality of Strom's March Modern Barony Cadet Branches The House of Saint-Auguste, in one form or another, has existed for millennia; as such, its bloodline is not solely contained within the primary house. There have been several cadet branches noted as significant by modern scholars, and likely numerous others that rose and fell before modern records were in existence. Indeed, there are perhaps more that are yet undiscovered... House Valstarian '''Titles Held: '''Lord of Agustthrym (deprecated) '''Claims: '''King of the Agusti (deprecated) '''Status: '''Male Line Defunct - Female Line Extant House Valstarian is not the true name of this house, merely one given to it by scholars of the Dragon Kings' Strife. This house's membership was comprised of the children of Valstarian III by his first wife, a son and a daughter. This son, Valstarian IV, made the first claim to his father's throne, but within a month of his ascension he had been assassinated. Ultimately his daughter would be married to Vales Valens, second son of his third wife, doubly securing his claim to being the primary line of House Auguste. This cadet branch was so short-lived as to never possess heraldry of its own, nor a name. Its female line technically lives on in the primary House of Saint-Auguste. House Dreórwyrm / House Dreór-Auguste '''Titles Held: '''Lord of Steorra (deprecated) '''Claims: '''King of the Agusti (deprecated) '''Status: '''Defunct House Dreórwyrm means, quite literally, House Blood Dragon in Old Augustan. This house branched from the primary House Auguste during the reign of Valstarian III, its membership comprised of the children of his second wife. After the Dragon Kings' Strife in 968 P.C., in which House Dreórwyrm led one of the largest warring factions, House Dreórwyrm found itself the second most powerful branch, behind the branch led by the secondborn son of Valstarian's third wife. To placate the powerful and vengeful sons of the Dreórwyrm tradition, the newly ascended King of the Agusti Vales Valens granted House Dreórwyrm control of the stone citadel Steorra north of the River Sorrow. House Dreórwyrm's male line was extinguished in 899 P.C. by the forces of the Third Legion and its seat at Steorra taken as the new principal holding for House Northour. House of Night / House Swígeniht '''Titles Held: '''N/A '''Claims: '''King of the Agusti (deprecated) '''Status: '''Unknown It is unknown if Swígeniht is the proper name of this house, or simply a derogatory name applied to it that became its ''de facto ''calling card. Depending on one's translation, House Swígeniht means either the House of Night or House of Silence. Its membership was comprised of the children of King Valstarian III by his fourth wife. This house had relatively few holdings, and its own claimant for the throne was quickly silenced and killed by the other Houses. However, it managed to endure by forging strong bonds with Hierophancy of Heol, integrating into the theocratic structure. While it has been centuries since someone has laid claim to the name of the House of Night, many local aristocrats, particularly in Shade's End, like to trace their roots back to the House. The House of Night acts simultaneously as a superstition to inspire fear in children and a nostalgic rallying cry to the old ways, a last hope that this House remains in hiding. House Eastlang / House Eastlang-Auguste '''Titles Held: '''Marquis of Redgate '''Claims: '''King of the Agusti (deprecated) '''Status: '''Male Line Defunct - Female Line Extant House Eastlang-Auguste, typically shortened to House Eastlang, branched from the primary House Auguste during the reign of Valstarian III, its membership comprised of the children of his fifth and final wife. After the Dragon Kings' Strife in 968 P.C., House Eastlang submitted to the newly ascended King Vales Valens and was granted control of the newly constructed citadel Acsanmúða - now called Redgate - guarding the mouth of the Ea Angnes at the Efenbrád. After the death of King Valesarian Auguste and his heirs at the Battle of Agustþrymm and of the Blood Dragon Lords at Steorra, House Eastlang chose to willingly surrender to House Northour rather than assert their now-dominant claim to the Agusti throne. For their willingness to surrender, House Northour granted House Eastlang the title of Marquis of Redgate, which they have held ever since. Their male line is believed to have been extinguished in 592 K.C. during the First War alongside their Northour liegelords, but the female line continues through the fallen lord's daughter Ariana Eastlang, who was married to Barathen Valyrian Saint-Auguste two years prior to the invasion.Category:House of Saint-Auguste Category:Houses, Clans and Tribes Category:Stormwind Houses